AS people prepare to hit their local hostelry for a spot of seasonal merry-making, some drinkers fear the traditional Welsh pub could be under fire.

AS people prepare to hit their local hostelry for a spot of seasonal merry-making, some drinkers fear the traditional Welsh pub could be under fire.

The rise of the so-called "gastropub", chain pubs and expensive bar refurbishments all seem to be conspiring to lay the spit-and-sawdust tradition to rest across the nation.

During 2003 and 2004, Welsh brewery giant Brain's estimates it will have refurbished more than a third of its 225 pubs, at a rate of 30 to 40 a year.

Brain's retail marketing manager David Knowles said, "We're putting more investment into our pubs now to make them more attractive places to go.

"Unfortunately, standing still is not an option.

"People are always a little bit cautious of change and when we have plans to change a pub it's a natural reaction to think everything's going to be a disaster. But whenever we've done a refurbishment, we get a very positive response.

"We try to be very true to a pub's heritage and the customers who live and work in that area.

"It's not a case of buying a pub in a box and plonking it down in a different environment."

He added that the programme of refurbishments was not an attempt to appeal to a younger clientele and counted two Cardiff pub refurbishments among the company's most successful - a sensitive refurbishment of the Ty Mawr pub in Lisvane, and the radical upgrading of the Prince Albert to The Yard in the city centre.

But despite such innovations as the gastropub - basically upmarket pubs serving modern European food - the Campaign for Real Ale has been surprisingly upbeat about the future of drinking establishments that put the ales into Wales.

Pub food has come a long way since the days of pickled eggs and cling-wrapped ham rolls.

Just consider a sample menu from The Bell in Skenfrith, near Monmouth - Usk valley cannon of lamb, mango chutney, olive-crusted potatoes and smoked ratatouille with rosemary jus.

It's a long way from the image of Dylan Thomas scribbling poetry while supping in the corner snug.

James Daley, Camra regional director for South and Mid Wales, said, "There's room for both the gastropub and the traditional pub, and as long as they serve real ale then that's fine.

"On the other hand, theme pubs seem to be dying a death, with many reverting back to their original names.

"Irish theme pubs were possibly the worst idea of all. They were like a marketing man's idea of what a pub should look like.

"But places like The Yard are very impressive. The old Albert was a very basic spit and sawdust pub without the sawdust, and what Brain's have done is amazing.

"I think the future is bright for the gastropub as well as the traditional pub."

Meanwhile, new research has shown that drinkers in Powys will have an easier time finding a pub in which to raise their Christmas spirits than the thirsty citizens of Cardiff.

The UpMyStreet.com website has produced figures for the average number of residents per pub for each of the counties of Wales, Scotland and England.

The research shows that there are fewer than 600 residents per pub in Powys and Pembrokeshire, while the figure slumps to just one pub for every 2,134 people in the capital.

A spokeswoman for the site said, "More than 12 million Brits will head for their in-laws this Christmas, but close to half are not looking forward to the experience.

"Instead, almost a third say they'll go to the pub more than four times between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve to get away from it all."